America comes to a standstill for the televised presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump , the first and perhaps the only one of this new and short electoral campaign after Joe Biden's withdrawal. It is also their first face-to-face after weeks of mutual attacks , with the vice president calling him a "sexual predator" and a "con man" convicted in court. While her rival labeled her a "communist" communist and also insulted her with sexist and racist insults, despite repeated calls from his former Republican challenger Nikki Haley to change the way he and his running mate JD Vance talk about women: "There is no need to call Kamala Harris stupid, she didn't get here by accident. We need to focus on policies".

There are all the conditions for a boxing match , according to the metaphor evoked by the tycoon's campaign, which however sees Kamala as "the boxer trying to prepare to fight Floyd Mayweather or Muhammad Ali", that is, defeated from the start.

But the rules of engagement prevent direct verbal duels : in the 90-minute confrontation in Philadelphia in ABC's studios without an audience, the two opponents - moderated by two anchors - have their microphones turned off when the other speaks and cannot ask each other questions or take notes. Nor can they leave their podium, as Trump did in 2016 to put pressure on Hillary Clinton. What makes the difference, therefore, are any fatal gaffes or well-timed jabs, as happened in the debate that forced Biden to withdraw . Otherwise, in a highly polarized America where the majority has already decided who to support, the votes of the undecided are up for grabs , which could become decisive in the seven swing states on which victory hangs in a race that is currently neck and neck.

A few hours before taking the stage, Trump said he felt "great" while accusing his rival of "not being credible anymore." "You don't know what to expect. She's changed all her policies over the years," he accused, attacking her for her "flip-flops," or about-faces, from fracking to defunding the police.